This invention relates to apparatus for profiling the end faces of pipes or tubes.
It is frequently required to profile the end faces of pipes or tubes, e.g., to prepare them for a welding operation, and apparatus is known for this purpose. Generally, such tube or pipe profiling apparatus comprises collett means which can be inserted into an end of a pipe or tube the end face of which is to be profiled and which can be expanded into engagement with the internal surface of the pipe or tube by means of a screw threaded nut. It is frequently the case that a large number of identical tubes or pipes, e.g., condenser tubes, require profiling and that each time a profile has been provided on an end face of one pipe or tube the nut must be unscrewed, the collett inserted into the next pipe or tube and the nut then tightened. Even if the nut is coarse threaded, several turns may be necessary to loosen and then retighten the nut so that the transfer of the apparatus from one pipe or tube to the next is time consuming. Moreover, the spanner wrench required for loosening and tightening the nut is a loose item which can readily become lost or mislaid.
Also, with known tube or pipe profiling apparatus, the torque reaction resulting from the cutting operation is usually transmitted either to the operator or to an external fixture.